The intersection of race and gender: an examination of sentencing outcomes in North Carolina

This study examines the intersection of offenders' race and gender in the sentencing process using data on felony cases sentenced in North Carolina. Analyses examine the likelihood that charges were reduced in severity between initial filing and conviction, the likelihood of imprisonment, and t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Criminal justice studies 2014-10, Vol.27 (4), p.419-438
Main Authors: Bloch, Katrina Rebecca, Engen, Rodney L., Parrotta, Kylie L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Black people
charge reductions
Crime
Criminal sentences
Criminal sentencing
Gender
Imprisonment
incarceration
North Carolina
Offenders
Punishment
Race
Racial Differences
Racial differentiation
Sentencing
Sex
U.S.A
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Summary:This study examines the intersection of offenders' race and gender in the sentencing process using data on felony cases sentenced in North Carolina. Analyses examine the likelihood that charges were reduced in severity between initial filing and conviction, the likelihood of imprisonment, and the length of sentence imposed, and test whether race affects punishment similarly for men and women. Results indicate that status characteristics predict both reductions in charge severity and the severity of the final sentence, and that racial disparity is conditional on gender. However, the results are not entirely consistent with predictions derived from the extant literature. Gender significantly predicts case outcomes at each stage, but black men were not uniformly disadvantaged, and black women received the least severe treatment in two out of four analyses. Theoretical implications for the intersection of race and gender in sentencing theories are discussed.
ISSN:1478-601X
1478-6028
DOI:10.1080/1478601X.2014.932787